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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Spaghetti Frittata

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our nest had been empty for about two weeks when I learned the wisdom of cooking no more than could be eaten in one sitting. That included some of our favorite pasta dishes. I hate waste and am not fond of reheated noodles, so you can imagine the bemusement on the face of the Silver Fox when I started to make a frittata with deliberately left-over spaghetti. A recipe, found in Eating Well Magazine, convinced me to try a spaghetti frittata, but I wanted to adapt and expand it to include ingredients that are also used in spaghetti carbonara. The recipe was touted as a money saver because it minimized waste by using food that might otherwise be thrown away. Apparently, a family of four trashes nearly $600 of food every year. Before I go any further, let me say this is a nice recipe and it produces an unusual dish that might please those with bored palates. There's not a thing wrong with it. If you have half a pound of cooked spaghetti lying around, it's a good way to use it up. I was drawn to the recipe out of curiosity and my curiosity is now satisfied. I probably will not make this again, but if I did, I'd make some changes. I'd use capellini rather than spaghetti and I'd pour the egg mixture over still warm pasta. The theory being the custard would better coat the pasta when it is warm. As with all stovetop frittatas, there is that awful moment of truth when it must be turned. Prayer and/or swearing help. A better solution would be to bake rather than fry it. Here's the recipe.

Directions:1) Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm. Drain and refresh with cold water.2) Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until browned. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and let cool slightly. Wipe out pan.3) Whisk together eggs, egg whites and milk in a large bowl. Stir in the onions, Parmesan, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Add spaghetti.4) Spray pan really well with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Pour in egg mixture and distribute evenly in pan. Cook until underside is golden, moving pan around on burner to ensure even cooking, about 6 minutes. Invert a large platter over skillet, grasp platter and skillet with oven mitts and carefully turn over. Lift off skillet and spray it again with nonstick cooking spray. Slide frittata back into the skillet and cook until bottom is golden. Slide frittata onto a platter. Garnish with tomatoes, if using. Yield: 6 servings.

I also love not wasting food. Yesterday I made Giada De Laurentis lassagna and I had bechamel, tomato sauce, riccota left over. Cooked the pasta covered it and sprinkled with cheese. Now I have two pasta dishes sitting in the fridge. Great job!

Good morning Mary. I'll be copying this recipe to my file because I have never figured out how to make just enough pasta to go with my sauce and I always end up giving the leftovers to the chickens. I made a frittata for the first time for the first time last month and we loved it, so I'll look forward to trying this one, with your recommendations. Perhaps I'll plunge the leftover pasta into boiling water and then drain it before adding the egg mixture.

That $600 a year average for wasted food is astounding! I try hard not to be wasteful but, just this morning, had to toss some cherry tomatoes (they were from a neighbor's garden but still a waste) that we just couldn't eat fast enough. I've made pasta frittata's in various forms for years--especially when the boys were at home. Some were quite tasty. Other's weren't.

This is so "our house" in the sense that we make these types of frittatas all the time, including for lunch in a couple of hours. We often use ramen noodles which we always have in the pantry. We save the flavor packet for other uses. Also, we like to set up the bottom of the frittata on the stove, then finish in the oven. That means no flipping. Cooking for two, it's difficult not to have leftovers. I'm better at using them than I used to be. Thanks for your beautiful dish.

Mary, I love a noodle omlet, so this sounds divine! Thanks for the tips about keeping the spaghetti warm.Another winner for dinner!I'll make this next week. I'm posting it on my weekly menu with a link back to this post.Easy dinner. Thanks.Yvonne

Hi, Mary! It is sometimes hard to cook for just two, isn't it? We both eat the leftovers for lunch.I've read about Pasta Frittata's. Adding this one to my "One Perfect Bite" folder of recipes to make :). Thanks, Mary!!

When, I was a child, my mom made, what she called noodles and egg, a much simpler dish. Cooked noodles in a fry pan, covered with eggs and seasoning. Nothing special but I was a child an my mom made it so it was delicious.

Rarely, do I make it, only when I am looking for comfort food. So, I would probably like your frittata.

I hate wasting and we definintely do. Love finding ways to use leftovers. With both kids back home and in school - leftovers are becoming lunch (she says happily). The idea of a spaghetti frittata works for me. Especially if I can have yours.

OMG! I grew up in a traditional Italian family that did not waste and we had this regularly. However I really didn't think anyone else outside my family made it! It wasn't my favourite (prefered freshly cooked pasta) but it is a good way to use up leftovers...and nutricious

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